Anemone shrunk and exposing its insides

[billysprout]

Hi friends, anemone was showing a bit of its stomach before i went on vacation. Came back and it’s significantly smaller, moved to another spot on the rock, and is showing a marble-sized ball of its insides.

My phosphates spiked to 0.35 ppm while i was gone, nitrates are fine at 15, pH is 8.2 and all is around 9.5. Any ideas? I do have cipro tablets so I can treat if needed.

 

[fishguy242]

@Lost in the Sauce @F i s h y

 

[bradleym]

With that much irritation, I'd double check your salinity and temperature too. Phosphates are pretty high, but my experience has been that high phosphates only cause them to shrivel, not stick out their stomach like that (other people may have more experience here hopefully).

Here's hoping you figure it out soon!

 

[billysprout]

With that much irritation, I'd double check your salinity and temperature too. Phosphates are pretty high, but my experience has been that high phosphates only cause them to shrivel, not stick out their stomach like that (other people may have more experience here hopefully).

Here's hoping you figure it out soon!

thank you for the advice! salinity (specific gravity*)is 1.0245 or a little higher because i fixed my ato that was overdosing.

temp is 77.6 but i feel like this dinky thermometer is not a reliable source. let me grab some more sources.

this is my first nem, is this behavior typically due to parameter issues or could it indicate an infection?

 

[bradleym]

thank you for the advice! salinity (specific gravity*)is 1.0245 or a little higher because i fixed my ato that was overdosing.

temp is 77.6 but i feel like this dinky thermometer is not a reliable source. let me grab some more sources.

this is my first nem, is this behavior typically due to parameter issues or could it indicate an infection?

It could be either. This is a common sign of infection, but I once had a friend bring me his anemones because this was happening and he wanted me to see if I could save them - when I went to acclimate them his salinity tested 1.029! Turned out his meter was messed up and only read as 1.026 for him, so they weren't really sick in his case.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Before starting meds, let's double check your parameters. Specifically salinity and alk.

Could you also please post a few pictures under White light from different angles?

How long was the vacation? IE from when you noticed this, until now?

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Try selcon soaked food

 

[billysprout]

Before starting meds, let's double check your parameters. Specifically salinity and alk.

Could you also please post a few pictures under White light from different angles?

How long was the vacation? IE from when you noticed this, until now?

Salinity is still 1.0245 from a tropicmarin glass hydrometer so should be accurate.

alk tested at between 8 and 9 drops of api smh test soln.

temp is lower in the nems half of the tank, 76.4… must be a deader flow area than i thought it was. EDIT: glass thermometer reads 78.8F in that same spot. i hate this hobby lol

I was gone for a couple weeks but i did see it showing its mouth up to a month ago. it stopped until right before i left. so maybe three weeks total? my reefing friend took care of the tank so alk/salinity/temp should have stayed mostly stable.

pics attached, my spectrum gets very blue at night! the clowns do not host my nem, they host a fake anemone prop on the other side of the rock.

 

[billysprout]

the circular structure at the nems 1:00 seems to be some sort of sponge or film that was growing over the base of the anemone before it moved.

 

[billysprout]

update: Phosphates are down to 0.17 from .37 a few days ago. gonna do a daily 10% WC until it's down to my target of .05.

 

[billysprout]

night 1 of cipro bath complete. I’m honestly beginning to suspect i didn’t give her enough light and she slowly starved. she stretched a lot towards the light before she started showing her insides.

scored her a 10 last night on amoos scale, i suspect she’s at a 7 or 8 now as she does respond to touch. i’ll have to see how long she stays inflated.

 

[billysprout]

made some progress in the past couple days! i think i overdosed cipro a bit on night 2 because it was super deflated for most of the day.

i rate it a 6-7 depending on how long it stays inflated today. mouth *gape is definitely less severe, i can see more of the oral disc than i could for a while.

dumb iphone keeps flipping my photos…

 

[bradleym]

I'm glad to hear it's still hanging in there!